Conveyer for loading machines



Jan. 5, 1932.

W. WHALEY CONVEYER FOR LOADING MACHINES Filed Jan. 29 1950 4Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNEY Jan. 5, 1932. w. WHALEY CONVEYER FOR LOADINGMACHINES Filed Jan. 29 19370 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 QM@ m @NQ m mu T M 4' .MWIa Ew i f ATTORNEY `Fam. 5, 1932. w. WHALEY 1,839,625

CONVEYER FOR LOADING MACHINES Filed Jan. 29 1950 4 Sheets-'Sheet 3 /O imINVENTOR.

D4 ,f E WW aw 9% ATTORNEY Patented 5, 1932 lUNI'TED STATES PAT-ENTOFFICE CNVEYER FOR LOADING MACHINES Application led January 2t.' 1930.Serial No. 424,253.

This invention is intended especially to be applied to loading machineshaving at their forward end a shovel or any other means for gathering orlifting material, such as coal or ore or earth, and delivering saidmaterial to a conveyer to be carried by the conveyer rearwardfordischarge into a mine car or similar car or other vehicle suited to thispurpose.

vThe object of this invention is to produce in such machines a conveyerstructure which makes provision for adjustment of the rear conveyer yasmay be required by the height of the cars and as permitted by theiheadroom in the mine.

Heretofore the forward part of the rear conveyer structure has beenhinged on a horizontal transverse axis on which all of the conveyerrearward of that axis could turn for raising or lowering the dischargeend of the conveyer. That means of adjustment has limitation. Said hingeline is necessarily low, because in most cases the over-all height ofthe entire machine must be low.: If the rear part of the conveyerishinged on a line low enough to meet such height requirement, the rearpart of the over-hang of the conveyer may be too low to allow the car tobe placed under said part, unless the hinged part of the conveyer isturned upward. But for that the head room must be taken into account.

My improvement permits raising and lowering the part of the conveyerwhich is to be' above the car, without putting that part of the conveyerinto inclined or tilted position. On the contrary, my improvementpermits lacing the over-hung part of the conveyer into the horizontal orapproximately horizontal position and so'hol ing it durin upv anddownadjustment. This allows ad]usting the over-hung part of the conveyerto receive a car under that art of the conveyer with a minimum spaceetween the car and the mine roof or over-head mine 'timbering To thisend, my im roved conveyer struc- 5' ture constitutes a com inationincluding parallel link elements and lifting means, as will be describedfurther on.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the right hand side of the rear part of aloading machine embodyrear conveyer as shown in Fig. l;

ing my improvement, the full length of the rear conveyer and the rearend of the forward conveyer being included;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the right hand half of the part of the machine shownby Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of t e part or section of the rearconveyer in which the parallel link mechanism is applied, that conveyersection being the middle section of the Fig. 4 is an, upright,transverse section on lshpt line, 4 4, o Flg. 3, looking toward the Fig.5 is an upright, transverse section on thehl1ne,'5-5, of Fig. 3, lookingtoward the ri t;

ig. 6 is a horizontal section 0n the line, 6 6, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line, 7 7, of Fig. 3;

Fig 8 is a horizontal section on the line, 8 8, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on the line, 9 9, of Fig. 1;

Fig 1 0 is an upright section on the line, 75 10 10,.of Fig 9, lookingin the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 11 is an upright transverse section on the line, 11-11, of Fig. 1,looking toward the right; ig. 12 is an upright, transverse section onthehline, 12-12, of Fig. 1, looking toward the rig t;

Fig 13 is a horizontal section on the line, 13 13, of Fig. l. Referringto Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, A lis the body of the loading machineto which my improved conveyer is applied. A1, A1 are track wheelssupporting the machine on track rails, A2. `A3 are axles supported bythe wheels. A4 are sprocket wheels fixed on the axles. A5 is a sprocketchain applied to the sprocket wheels, A4, for transmission of motionfrom the rear (left hand)l axle to the forward axle, it being understoodthat a motor-(not shown) transmits motion to the rear axle.

The rear conveyer comprises three sections coupled to each other-aforward section, D, a middle'section, E, and a rearsection, F. 190

The material carried by the conveyer is discharged from the rearsection, F. Therefore we may call this the discharge section. Theforward end, D1, of the section, D, receives material from the rear end,C, of the forward conveyer. Only said rear end is shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. The forward end, D1, of the forward section, D, is supportedand pivoted, in any suitable manner on an uprlght shaft, B, supported ina bearing, B1, on the body of the machine. i

A bridge casting, D3, (Figs. 9 and 10) curved concentric with the shaft,B, is laced between the arms, D2, of the section, near the rear ends ofsaid arms and secured to said arms by horizontal bolts, D4, extendingthrough the arms. In said bridge pieces are rollers, D5, supported onhorizontal bolts, D6, which are radial to said shaft, B. Said rollersrest on a horizontal gear segment or rack, D7, located under the bridgepiece, D3, concentric with the shaft, B, and supported on the mainframe, A. (Figs. 11 and 12). The gear` segment or rack has at its rearedge gear teeth meshing with a gear pinion', D8, fixed on a shaft, D9,which is supported in a housing, D10, which also supports ahorizontalshaft, D12. On said shaft, D12, within said housing is fixed a gearworm, D11, which engages the worm wheel, D13, fixed on the upper part ofthe shaft, D9. The shaft, D12, extends rightward through the right handarm, D2, and at its outer end supports a hand wheel, D14, the turning ofwhich by the operator causes the gear worm to turn the worm wheel andthe shaft, D9, and the pinion, D8, which causes lateral travel of saidpinion on the stationary gear segment, D7, whereby the arms, D2, and thereceiving conveyer section, D, of the rear conveyer are turned sidewisewith the upright shaft, B, as an axis. The sections, E and F, of therear conveyer are supported by the section, D, and therefore moved inunison with the section, D, during its sidewise movements.

The forward section, D, has only the aforesaid sidewise movement. Asalready stated, the sections, E and F, are carried by and moved sidewisein unison with the section, D. The sections, E and F, also have u rightmovement, the section, E, tilting and t e section, F, being carriedbodily upward and downward in parallel movement, preferably inhorizontal position.

To thus support the discharge section, F, the section, E, is made aparallel link or bar structure. The forward end of each arm, D2, has anupward extension, D15. At each side of the conveyer a bar or link, E1,has its forward end applied to the inner face of said extension, D15,and has its rear end applied' immediately at the rear of the extension,D15, is a spacing block, E3, to the outer face of which is applied atongue, E2, which overlaps the extension, D15. Said tongue and saidspacing block are riveted to the link, Ell. A bolt E4, extendshorizontally through s ald tongue, E2, and extension, D15, and the linkor bar, E1. Thus a horizontal joint is made for the forward end of eachlink or bar, El.

The rear end of each link or bar, El, is applied to the inner face ofthe plate, F2, and a spacing block, E3, is applied to the outer face ofsaid link or bar immediately in front of the plate, F2, and a tongue,E2, 1s applied to said spacing block and extends over the outer face ofthe adjacent part of the plate, F1. Said tongue, E2, and spacing block,E3, are riveted to the link, E1. A bolt, E4, extends horizontallythrough said tongue and the plate F2, and the link or bar, E1. Thus ahorizontal hinge joint is formed at the rear end of each link or bar,E1.

Below and parallel to each link, E1, is a link, E5, the forward end ofwhich overlaps the inner face of the extension, D15. To the outer faceof said link and immediately at the rear of the extension, D15, aspacing block, E6, is applied to the outer face of the link, E5, and atongue, E7, is applied to the outer face of the spacing block and madeto overlap the outer face of the section, D15. Said tongue and thespacing block are riveted to the lower link, E5. A bolt, E8, extendshorizontally through said tongue and the extension, F2, and the link,E5. Thus horizontal, forward joints are formed for the links, E5. Therear end of each link, E5, overlaps the lower part of theinner face ofthe plate, F2. A spacing block, E9, is applied to the outer face of thelink, E5, immediately forward of the plate, F2. A tongue, E10, isapplied to the outer face of the block, F9, and made to overlap theouter face of the plate, F2. The spacing block, E9, and the tongue, E10,are riveted to the link, E5. A bolt, E8, extends horizontally throughsaid tongue and plate F2, and the adjacent end of the link, E5. Thusjoints are formed for the rear ends of the links, E5. The forward hingesare in an approximately upright plane, and that plane is parallel to theplane of the rear hinges.

It will now be seen that the links, E1 and E5,`are supported on the rearpart of the forward section, D, which, as above stated, has noup-and-down movement. Therefore the forward hinges or couplings of thelinks,

E1 and E5, are fixed. Sincev the upright or approximately upright planesof the forward hinges or couplings and the rear couplings are parallelto each other, upward or downward movement of said links by turning on Ythe forward couplings will cause the rearward couplings to at all timesbe in a plane parallel to the plane of the forward couplings.Consequently the plates, F2, and the section, F maintain a fixedrelation to the plane of the rear couplin s and the plane of the forwardcouplings o? the links or bars. That means that the section, F, iscarried upward or downward without changing relation to a horizontalplane. If said section, F, is originally put into the horizontalposition, that position is maintained when said section is carriedupward or downward by the parallel link section, E. Thus a car may beplaced close to the rear end of the body, A, of the machine and thesection, F, placed over the car in the horizontal or approximatelyhorizontal position and `at such height above said c ar as the mine roofor timbering above the section, F, will permit. Thus the space betweenthe mine roof and the top of the loaded v car need be only as much aswill receive the section, F, when in the horizontal position. It isobvious that, if the discharge section,

F, were tilted, that space would have to be larger. In' other words,when the head room is low, the discharge section can not be tilted.Hence the importance of the arallel'link section which serves tomaintain the discharge section in the horizontal. Y

For raising or 'lowering the rear or dis# charge section, F, theparallel link section, E, is to betilted by any desired means. That ispreferabl done by means supported on the rear part o the forwardsection, D, and engaging the section, E. For this purpose, the drawingsshow a pair of hydraulic motors, one such motor being located at eachside of the section, E, and supported on the adjacent arm, D2, of thesection, D. Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 12, G is one of saidmotors. G1 is an upright cylinder closed below and surroundinov apiston, G2. On the lower end of the cylinder is a stem, G3, extendingdownward into the spaces between the bracket, D16, and a plate, D17,which is secured against the outer face of the adjacent arm, D2. Saidbracket and said plate are secured to the arm, D2, by means of thebolts, D4, already described as serving to join the bridge member, D3,to the arms, D2. A bolt, G5, extends through said bracket, D16, and saidstem,G3, and the plate, D17, into the adjacent arm, D2. c

The upper end of the piston, G2, has a pair of upright lugs, G6. Ahorizontal yoke, G8, lies between `said lugs. A bolt, G7, extendshorizontally through said lugs and said yoke and is loose in said lugsor said yoke, or both, to permit rocking of said yoke on said bolt. Atthe front and at the rear of the motor, a bracket, G9. rises from theadjacent lower link. E5, in the upright plane of the yoke, G8. At eachside of the upright part of said bracket is a plate, G10. riveted tosaid stem and overlanping the sides of the'yoke, G8. A bolt.I G11.`extends horizontally through the plates, G10, andthe yoke, G8.

It is to' be observed that the motor is free from the upper link or bar,El. (See Fig. 4.) The motor exerts liftin strain on only the lowerlinks, That is one through the yoke, G8, and the brackets, G9.

An inlet pipe, G12, on the lower part of the cylinder, G1, admits fluidunder pressure into the cylinder below the piston, G2. Said pipe isconnected with a source of fluid under variable pressure controlled bthe operator of the machine. Suchcontro ling means being already known,I deem it unnecessary to herein illust-rate and describe the same. Whenthe piston has been moved to raise or lower the discharge section, F, ofthe rear conveyer into the desired position, the controlling means is tohold the fluid used for supporting and moving the piston, G2. Therebythe link section, E, and the discharge section, F, will be held at theelevation then attained. The

chine forward or backward and for operating the athering mechanism atthe front of the macine. Such power mechanisms forming no part of mypresent invention, they are therefore not herein illustrated anddescribed.

It is t0, be understood that power means other than the hydraulic means`above described may be substituted for the hydraulic means. It is alsoto be understood that manually-actuated means may be used for raisingand lowering the link section, E.

An endless apron, H, is supported on the rear conveyer structure. 11, 12and 13.) Figs. 1 and 13 show the hori' zon'tal apron supporting shaft,H1, at the forward end of the forward section, D. Fig. 11 shows asimilar shaft, H2, at the rear end of the discharge section, F. On theshaft, H1, are fixed sprocket wheels, H3, which receive the endlesschains, H4, of the apron. On the shaft, H2, of Fig. 11, are fixedsimilar sprocket wheels, H3, which lsupport said chains, H4. A sprocketwheel, H5, 1s fixed on the extended end of the shaft, H2, of Fig. 11 andreceives motion from a source of-power through a sprocket chain (notshown) for driving the shaft, H2, and the apron, H. It is to beunderstood that between the shafts, H1 and H2, the apron., H, issuitably supported on the sections, D, E and F.

I claim as my invention, v

1. In a portable loading machine, a conveyer structure leading fromthebody of the machine, said conveyer structure including an approximatelyhorizontal discharge section and a parallel link section supporting thedischarge section, the parallel link seetion comprising links lying insuperposed Isection and a parallel link section supporting the dischargesection, the parallel link section comprising links lying in superposedapproximately horizontal planes and hinged on parallel axes to the bodyand to the discharge section, and means for applying lifting power toone of said sections.

3. In a portable loading machine, a conveyer structure leading from thebody of the machine, said conveyer structure including an approximatelyhorizontal discharge section 'and a parallel link section supporting thedischarge section, the parallel link section comprising links lying insuperposed approximately horizontal planes and hinged; on parallel axesto the body and to the discharge section, and means for applying liftingpower to the parallel link section.

4. In a portable loading machine, a conveyer structure leading from thebody of the machine, said conveyer structure including an approximatelyhorizontal discharge section and a parallel link section comprisinglinks lying in superposed approximately horizontal planes and inoperative relation with the discharge section for supporting thedischarge section at diiierent elevations in approximately thehorizontal position, means for applying lifting power to one of saidsections, and a laterally movable seotion supporting said parallel linksection.

5. In a portable loading machine, a conveyer structure leading from thebody of the machine, said conveyer `structure including an approximatelyhorizontal discharge section and a second section in operative relationwith the discharge section for supporting the discharge section atdifferent elevations in approximately the horizontal position and athird section laterally movable and having rearward-extended armssupportedl by the body Aof the machine, the forward end of the secondsection being coupled to the rear part of the third section, means inoperative relation with said arms and the body of the machine for movingthe rear end of said third section laterally, and means supported by thethird section for turning the second section on the coupling by whichsaid section is joined to the third section.

6. In a portable loading machine, a conveyer structure leading from thebody of the machine, said conveyer structure including an approximatelyhorizontal discharge section and a second section in operative relationwith the discharge section for supporting the discharge section atdierent elevations in approximately the horizontal position and a thirdsection laterally movable and having rearward-extended arms, the forwardend of the second section being coupled,

to thel rear part of the third section, and means supported by said armsfor-turning the second section on the coupling-by which said section isjoined to the third section.

7. In a portable loading machine, a conveyer structure leading from thebody of the' machine, said conveyer structure includi-nganapproxljmahtely horizontal discharge I"section and a'parallel linksection having 'lksat each side of the conveyer, and lifting means ateach side of said link section and engaging an adjacent link for liftingand supporting said section.

8. In a portable loading machine, a conveyer structure leading from thebody of the machine, said conveyer structure including an approximatelyhorizontal. discharge` section and a parallel link section having linksat each side of the conveyer, and' hydraulic lifting meansat each sideof said linksection and engaging an adjacent link for lifting andsupporting said section.

9. In a loading machine, a conveyer structure leading from the body ofJche machine and comprisinga discharge section and a middle section anda forward section, the

middle section comprisedof relatively movable elements and having theirrear ends and means for eli'ecting the turning of the elements of themiddle section on the last-` mentioned axes. y

10. In a loading machine, a conveyer structure leadin from the body ofthe machine and comprising a discharge section and a second sectioncomprised of relatively movable elements and having their rear endscoupled to the forward end of the discharge section on horizontal axeslying in an uprighttransverse plane, and said second section havingtheforward ends of its elements coupled to another part of the machineon two hori-` zontal axes which lie in a plane which is substantia-llyparallel to the aforesaid plane, and means for effecting the turningot`the elements of the second section on the lastmentioned axes.

11. In a loading machine, a conveyer structure leading from the body ofthe machine and comprisinga discharve section and a secondsectioncomprised oin relatively movable elements and having their rear endscoupled to the forward end of the discharged section on horizontal axeslying in an upright transverse plane, and sald second section having theforward ends of its elements cou- 513 pled to a laterally adjustablepart of the machine on two horizontal axes which lie in a plane which issubstantially parallel to the aforesaid plane, and means for effectingthe turning of the elements of the secon section on the last-mentionedaxes.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, this 24t day of January, inthe year one thousand nine hundred and thirty.

WILLIAM WHALEY.

